Alaska News

Congress candidate Q & A: Bush-era tax cuts

The Anchorage Daily News asked candidates in statewide elections their views on a variety of issues. We're posting their responses between now and Election Day. See each candidate's full list of answers by clicking on their mug shot in the right column.

Question: The Bush-era tax cuts are set to expire on Dec. 31. Which comes closest to your position:

• Congress should extend the tax cuts only for the middle class, not for the top 2 percent, that is, households earning $250,000 or more.

• Congress should extend the tax cuts for everyone, including the top 2 percent, that is, households earning $250,000 or more.

• Congress should not extend any of the ax cuts.

• Other (explain).

U.S. SENATE

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Tim Carter

Non-affiliated

www.carterforsenate.org

Congress should extend the tax cuts only for the middle class, not for the top 2 percent, that is, households earning $250,000 or more.

Ted Gianoutsos

On ballot by petition as no-party candidate, registered as (founding member) Veterans Party of Alaska

www.tedandfran.com

Congress should extend the tax cuts for everyone, including the top 2 percent, that is, households earning $250,000 or more.

Fredrick "David" Haase

Libertarian

www.davidforalaska.com

Like asking about the plumbing of a burning house. The Congress should abolish the income tax and the IRS. The entire 15 Trillion dollar so called national debt (exact amount to be determined by audit). Should be paid by one Treasury note of the determined amount. The bondholders would get the new legal tender and the banks would cease to get interest. So there would no longer be a need for the individual income tax

Scott McAdams

Democrat

www.scottmcadams.org

Congress should extend the tax cuts for everyone but millionaires. It is important, especially in times of fiscal crisis like now, that everyone pays his or her fair share of the cost of government. The tax cuts we have provided the very, very rich are unsustainable and must be rolled back to the levels of the prosperous 1990s to put our fiscal house back in order. Extending the tax cuts for the middle is a critical step to spurring economic growth and creating new jobs.

Joe Miller

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Republican

www.joemiller.us

Congress should extend the tax cuts for everyone, including households earning $250,000 or more.

I support extending legislation that would ensure that all Alaskans do not see a tax increase next year. Our economy still hasn't recovered from recession and the U.S. is already at a competitive disadvantage in the global economy due to our high tax rates. This tax hike at the top rate would hurt 75 percent of small-business owners that file taxes at individual rates -- the same small-business owners responsible for nearly two-thirds of private sector job creation.

Lisa Murkowski

Republican Write-in

www.lisamurkowski.com

Congress should extend the tax cuts for everyone, including households earning $250,000 or more.

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In the middle of a recession, the last thing we should do is allow a massive tax increase that will adversely impact families and small businesses -- the single biggest job creators. Businesses will not expand and hire more employees until they have some certainty about the fate of the tax structure.

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE

Harry Crawford

Democrat

www.harrycrawfordforcongress.com

Congress should extend the tax cuts to everyone making up to $200,000 per household. We have to get a handle on this deficit and debt.

Don Young

Republican

www.donyoung2010.com

In order for both small and large businesses to feel comfortable expanding their permanent workforce, the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts must be extended for all income levels. President Obama supports temporarily extending these tax cuts for all but those earning over $200,000 (individual) or $250,000 (household). Many small-business owners are included in the bottom portion of this tax bracket.

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